Logo for the Pooch Playoffs, an international edition dog competition for the ultra-mutt cutie, featuring a stylized running dog icon and vibrant orange, purple, and black colors.

Pooch Playoffs 2026

REGISTRATION IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!!

Isabella Ripley Photography’s Pooch Playoffs is about more than celebrating our dogs—it’s about supporting the people who protect our communities. We’re honored to partner with First Responder Therapy Dogs, an organization that brings comfort and emotional support to first responders nationwide through trained therapy dogs.

First responders carry a lot that the public never sees. The stress and trauma of the job can have lasting effects, and too many struggle in silence. Isabella holds this mission close to her heart because her husband is a firefighter/paramedic with nearly ten years in the field, and she has seen firsthand how heavy this work can be on the ones you love.

This year, Pooch Playoffs is our chance to rally together and give back—one vote, one donation, and one big community thank-you at a time.

Untitled - Open Staircase.jpg
L_23-2.jpg
Amos-05.jpg
J_14 8x10 copy.jpg
B_2 social.jpg
B_28 social.jpg
B_33.jpeg
B_13 8x10.jpg
C73F8245-2254-44F9-9064-9F50FD705BDD.jpeg
Three dogs sitting against a plain background. The dog on the left is a Border Collie with a black and white coat, the middle dog is a fluffy Australian Shepherd with a merle coat, and the dog on the right is a black and white mixed breed with large ears. There is a sign in front of the first two dogs with text that says

We’re trying to find the cutest canine in our county and raise money for the First Responder Therapy Dogs at the same time.

What is Pooch Playoffs and how does it work?

For $150 your pup will be professionally photographed and entered in a bracket-style competition where the proceeds will be donated to the First Responders Therapy Dogs. Every week, they’ll be matched up with another pooch to be voted the Ulti-Mutt Cutie. Dog and human-friendly S(wag) bags for all participants. Plus, Prizes from local businesses for 1st and 2nd place winners!

Living room with a large framed photo of a dog licking its nose and the word "Woof" on the wall. Decor includes pampas grass in a wicker basket, a small wooden 'HOME' sign, a geometric-patterned lamp on a wooden console, a wicker basket with rolled towels, and a white and black pouf.
A brown, curly-haired dog sitting on a yellow background, licking its nose.

There’s even going to be a national competition so if your dog wins locally they could go on to compete nationally!

Click here to apply

Are you a small local business that wants to get involved?

We are looking for businesses like yours to sponsor or donate gifts for the swag bags! Get in touch with me by clicking below

Get Involved
A scene with a black gift bag containing orange and purple tissue paper, white gloves, a camera with a brown strap, a stack of black and gray boxes, a business card and a brochure, all arranged on a large gray table surface.

Make a Donation

First Responder Therapy Dogs is entirely dependent on your generosity to provide much needed emotional support to our courageous first responders. With your tax-deductible contribution, we will continue to be a powerful tool in helping first responders take to the frontline. 

Donate
Two women standing inside an animal shelter holding an oversized check made out to the Scituate Animal Shelter for $2,400. The woman on the left has curly blonde hair and is wearing a patterned sleeveless top, smiling. The woman on the right has long blonde hair, is wearing a black top, and is smiling slightly. Behind them is a wall with the shelter's logo and a wooden chair.

In 2023 Isabella Ripley Photography and the south shore community were able to raise $2,400 for SAS!

Two women standing indoors, holding a large check made out to Scituate Animal Shelter for $1,793, dated April 1, 2022. They are smiling, with windows and a clock showing 11:10 in the background.

In 2022 Isabella Ripley Photography and the south shore community were able to raise $1,793 for the Scituate Animal Shelter!

Meet Maui the ulti-mutt cutie of the South shore 2024!

A happy golden retriever wearing yellow sunglasses against a blue background with the word 'MAUI' in the bottom right corner.

Maui loves her people! She goes to school every Friday with her mom to give support and comfort to anyone who needs it. She is the beloved therapy dog of Duxbury school.

Meet Juno the ulti-mutt cutie of the South shore 2023!

A portrait of a mixed-breed dog with heterochromatic eyes, one blue and one brown, wearing a floral collar. The background is plain white, and the text 'JUNO' appears in purple stripes on the lower right.

Juno loves her family with all of her heart. She is very patient with her younger human sisters even when they are hanging all over her. She was her parents’ first baby and they absolutely adore her ears.

Meet Luna the ulti-mutt cutie of the South shore 2022!

A happy Bernese Mountain Dog lying on a purple background with the text 'Luna' in the bottom right corner.

She is known as the mayor in her neighborhood. She loves to greet all of the kiddos getting off the bus and making them smile. She doesn't typically enjoy playing with toys in her free time but adores treats!